The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-11-25
A STAGE ADVENTURE,

tne uays OF the fhllrohu, ana IL was
O'Clock in the afternoon Of an August
day. We were on our way to Stock
ton, and Of the passengers one was Q
lieutenant in the regular army, another
a tourist in search OF health, third q
ranchman, and the other two were
prospectors and miners. None of u,
had met each other previous to the
start. Those were perilous times, ant
the first half hour was spent in sizing
each other up. don't know TO what
conclusion the others came, but look
ed over the four men and said to my
self;
"The lieutenant ought to fight II
case we are attacked, but he seems toe
nervous to be gamey. The tourist !,
i'll and has no sand, but the ranch
man and prospectors can be depended
on"
AT that time the coach which wal
not stopped twice out of FIVE trips wa,
considered very lucky. In some few
instances the robbers were driven off
but in most cases the passengers sub
mitted TO being SHIELD up aud were
glad to get off with nothing worse.
| bad with me over $4,000 in bank bills
and gold and / was determined not tc
part with that money without a fight
The ranchman had $4,000 and The
miner about SO 900, as was afterward
learned, and both had determined tc
fight. We had inst forded the Merced
river, and had come to lonely stretch
of road, when the ranchman pulled his
revolver and examined the caps. 1,
was not yet restored to the holster
when we heard shout, the report oi
pistol, and the stage came to a full
stop. | reached for my pistol, as did
the miner, knowing that robbers were
at hand, but before mine was out the
lieutenant flung his arms around me
aud cried out;
"For Gods sake make no move OF
we shall all be murdered Let them
take all we have"
At the same time the tourist flung
himself upon the miner, and neither OF
us bad weapon out when robber
show himself at either door. The
ranchman was ready however, and he
killed the man on his side. He would
have also killed the other, but his re-
volver failed on the second shot, and
the robber pushed his revolver in and
fred with the muzzle pressed against
the poor fellows heart. A. third rob
Der then came up, and we were cover
ed from either door and called upon t.
surrender. The jig was up and we
climbed out, delivering our pistols butt
foremost as we left the stage. There
were four of us and only two robbers,
out when a man has the drop on you
and means business it's no use to kick
We were placed in a row, and while
cne of the fellows kept us covered the
other went through each man in turn
The lieutenant shelled out watch and
$40, the tourist a watch and $400, and
they got from the other two of Is the
sums | have previously named. hac
my bank bills in my bootlegs, but at
we were forced to strip to our shirts
they found every last dollar. Will,
we were dressing the body of the
ranchman was pulled fron the coacf
and stripped AMI robbed.
] have no doubt that the robher'
meant to shoot every one OF US afte
securing the plunder in order TO avengt
the death of their comrade, but th'
unusually large booty put them in gooc
spirits, and they underwent chang,
of heart. The one who searched III
st pped over the dead body a doz"l
times without seeming to care whethe
it was log or man. When final.
through with us he bent over the bod'
and began robbing it saying to hi
companions:
"Bill won't have any more use TO
money, and we might as well take hi
dollars along. Poor Bill We shan
never play poker together again"
When they were ready to 60 they
cut the harness so that the stage woult
be detained a couple of hours, brok
mp or carried off every frearm, ant
drank to our health from flask tn
tourist had with him. They made of
for the foothills to the east, having 81
little care for us that neither of then
looked back / was mad and no mis-
take, and the miner gave ulterance L
HIS feelings in curses which almos
cracked the stones around US, w
had been robbed of our last dolla,
and, with the money, our every pros
pect. The tourist could get more a
Stockton, and the lieutt nant was ou
only few dollars anyway. was no
yet dressed when he began to put G
airs over us, claiming that If we ha
not been so hasty he would have mar
aged the affair to the defeat of tn
robbers. This added to my anger an,
| sailed in and pounded him until h
yelled for mercy.
1t was just sunset when the stag
was ready tn go on, but there were tw
of us who did not propose to 60 ths
way. We were unarmed, but detr
mined, and while the stage lumber.
off down the rough road we found
club apiece and set out on the trail {
the robbers. Luckily for US, the min,
had been long in the country and see
good deal of hunters life. w
therefore had no d fiiculty in follow
ing the trail unil darkness came OF
The fellows made directly for the foo
h,lls, and we had no doubt that the
had some sort of cave or stronghold
out there. They took matters s
coolly that they could not have bee
a great way ahead Of us when darkne,
fell. | was then for resting until da
, light, but the miner urged that "
should push on FIR m the topograph
! Of the country, he felt oelt1in that
, rayine or lift would be found not f
away. We were then between Il
foothills and the true mountain, 10
narrow valley, and full moon hs
come up. Without this light we cou
not have made our way, as the grour
was much broken and powders |,
> ihickly scattered about.
We went ahead cautiously up tn
valley for about a mile, and of su
y den a rift opened to the left, and Il
= glare of campfire greeted our eyes.
, was not over two hundred feet ava
I and after minute we made out d
forms OF the two men as they seem,
m hn mi. NN 4